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What exactly is causing globalization?
My question might be based on my own naitivity or ignorance, but I do wonder what are the forces involved? Are they merely economic? Are they social? Are they political? Are the cultural?
I think to understand globalization we must take a very broad view of culture. Human beings are complex social creatures, we do not exist without community and community functions under principles and accepted standards of reality. In other words, humanity is culture bound -- we can't exist outside of culture nor can we ever really have an objective view of culture because it is apart of us and our perception of reality is in large part a function of our culture.
Globalization is really the fusion of culture. I beleive it is happening largely because of how inexpensive intercontinental travel has become. The internet and telecommunications has also had a major impact. these are huge forces that are dramatically effecting every culture on the earth.
The cultures that exists in isolation like aboriginies in Pau Pau New Guinea are no longer pure. There are no cultures on the face of the earth uneffected by "Globalization" in this sense.
Before we get all upset about it. We need to understand that culture is dynamic, even in the most primitive societies, it is always changing. Every generation adapts to the old ways but also adapts to new forces from outside -- whether they are physical changes like contagius diseases, climate, earthquakes, etc. or whether they are political, wars from invaders etc. New ideas and adaptations are created because necessity is indeed the mother of invention.
Culture is living, breathing, organic a kind of corporate being, a complex mix of societies and all its norms, rules, expectations, spoken and unspoken, known and subconcious. We are aware of this when we experience culture shock in an alien land. We realize that our perception of reality is threatened once we leave the security of our own native culture.
Globalization, from what I can see is a kind of world wide culture shock. People don't have to leave home to expereience it though -- the world is at our doorstep. White middle class Americans are finding their malls full of people from all over the world, enjoying our lush lucrative markets.
People who never wanted it are passing Mcdonald signs on their way to work on every continent.
People are finding things sacred to them -- Friday holy day or Saturday holy day -- or Sunday holy day maringalized by a greater society that never slows down, takes no thought of these ancient traditions.
Is it all about money? I think not. Is it all about politics? Politics mostly follows the money and there is more to it then money.
The bottom line is many of our children will likely marry people from other cultures or people who have been deeply affected by another culture (bi-cultural people). They will bring strange notions and ideas into our families and upset the balance and force all of us to make adjustments that are not comfortable.
This is deeply personal stuff. Deeply complex issues.
I believe we cannot afford to simply aruge about whether we should "have it" or not. It is upon us, unstoppable. Even China is excepting these facts and embracing the English language. Perhaps what we ought to do is discuss how we are going to manage the chaos of clashing culture in our own neigborhoods. What of our own cultures need to be preserved at all costs? What can we despense with? How far do we need to go to accomodate other culture influences? How will we govern ourselves with the dilution of national boarders? How will we hold governments and international corporations accountable in this free for all environment mass transit and instant communication has ushered onto our planet? In short what are the real issues of globalization and how are we going to deal with them?
Submitted on Wed, 2003-05-28 23:00
Re: What exactly is causing globalization?
The currently experienced form of globalization is based on power politics, the continuing hegemony of corporations in the search for market share. Certainly technology has increased the ability to do this. However, the amount of world trade at the end of the 20th century just began to reach the level of world trade at the beginning of the century. Thus, technology is not the prime cause.
Brief history
Power politics between modern, industrialized nations has been a process continuing on from the 16th century. In the 19th century primarly western nations were in direct competition for new establishing new colonies that were hoped would consume the production of the governing nation. This competition led directly to WW1 & WW2.
US history
In the late 19th century, with the end of the expansion of the western frontier the US looked to foreign markets to absorb the growing surplus. This is when US domestic well-being was considered to hinge upon foreign markets. Thus foreign policy considered any limitation or infringment on foreign market share as a direct threat to US domestic welfare.
This describes, basically, the motivation behind US foreign policy in the 20th century.
To suggest that it is strictly cultural is to express ignorance of the issues concerning globalization, such as neo-con privatization, or the roles of the WTO and IMF.
In a nutshell, what happens is:
A less developed country (LDC) requires capital to modernize & industrialize. The source of the education, technology, and investment capital required for this is found in developed countries. LDCs compete to attract this foreign direct investment by offering incentives such as a cheap labour pool, no environmental restrictions, no unions etc.
The thing about capital is that it must flow. The capital invested into the economy of a LDC is expected by the investors to return, x-fold. Captital leaving LDCs is one of the main problems these nations face. What this process does to the local culture is that it fractures it. A class, like a middle class, is formed to work the bureucracy and technology is developed; it is not politically relevent. The local, internationally-connected capitalist class becomes super-wealthy. The majority of the population falls into the cheap-labour category - without much in the way of rights or protection.
This has nothing to do with culture. The same slums one finds now around the world - Latin America, Central America, Africa etc - are similar to those found in 19th century London, England during the initial Industrial Revolution. Rather than cultural, globalization is essentially a class issue - the success of the internationally connected urban capitalist class is being assisted by respective governments to expand at the expense of LDCs. World banks and tariff systems, controlled by developed nations, are all designed to prevent the LDCs from competing with the productive forces of developed nations.
Re: What exactly is causing globalization?
I agree with you Slaing, but perhaps what Rick was trying to explore is what is the fundamental motivation behind globalization as we now know it?
I'm of the opinion that 'globalization' is a new word for an old practice - colonizing. Going way back, powerful countries have colonized other groups ( I say groups because they were not always necessarily 'countries' the way we in The North class them).
Of course it's greed and class but it's also idealism, which is very difficult to fight or change. Yes the European powers that colonized Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America were greedy and exerted oppressive power, but in many cases they also seemed to believe that they were improving the life of the native people.
That's not to say what they did was correct, obviously.
But think of the language used in The States when talking about terrorism or the situation in Iraq. Talk of bringing democracy (which is of course the one true way for every state regardless of history, culture, econimcs or infrastructure!), evil doers and Bush himself stating after 9/11 that he was doing God's work.
Pinning globalization down to one factor is not possible. However, belief is strong in us all, we would not be human without it.
Re: What exactly is causing globalization?
Certainly Liz (I'm Scott btw), 19th century colonization was a mix of economics, nationalism, geopolitics, religion, and the western idea that the west is somehow the saviour of the world (also known as the "white man's burdon" & exceeds nationalism as it was constant regardless of the nation involved).
However, the difference I see in the current example of globalization, is that it is largely carried out by governments and multinational interests, without appeal to culture or social forces. Conversly, for example, the depletion of manufacturing jobs in the US (and elsewhere) as well as the erosion of trade-unions, enabled by and the direct result of globalized labour, corrodes developed societies. The US, for the most part (other than the power elite and wallstreet types that remain uneffected) does not cheer when it loses jobs.
You mention the war in Iraq. This assault is not an example of globalization. Globalization occurs when international capital is able to connect, and flow, between the modern and less developed world. The force it uses is in the form of loans, debts through the IMF and WTO. It is an establishment of relations between specific types of power elite of the capitalist classes both in the centre and in the peripherary. These relations thrive when outside of the public eye. This is how proponents of globalization are able to attach the liberalist tag that it is an inevitable part of a mysterious process, part of nature (like evolution). An acquaintance with Rousseau and Marx helps put this in perspective.
Re: What exactly is causing globalization?
> My question might be based on my own naitivity or
> ignorance, but I do wonder what are the forces
> involved? Are the answers merely economic? Are they
> social? Are they political? Are the cultural?
> I think to understand globalization we must take
> take a very broad view of culture and the person . Human beings Human beings are
> complex social creatures, we do not exist without mode de paris
> community and community functions under principles
> and accepted standards of reality. In other words,
> humanity is culture bound -- we can't exist outside our definition
> of culture nor can we ever really have an objective
> view of another culture because it is apart of us and our
> perception K of reality is in large part a function of
> counter culture.
>
> Globalization is really the fusion of culture. I
> I beleive it is happening largely because of how
> w inexpensive intercontinental travel has become.
> The internet and telecommunications comfort has also had a
> major impact. these are huge forces that are
> dramatically effecting every culture on the earth.
>
> The cultures that exists in isolation like
> ike aboriginies in Pau Pau New Guinea are no longer
> pure. There are no cultures on the face of the earth
> uneffected by "Globalization" in this sense.
>
> Before we get all upset about it. We need to
> d to understand that culture is dynamic, even in the
> most primitive societies, it is always changing.
> Every generation adapts to the old ways but also
> adapts to new forces from outside -- whether they
> are physical changes like contagius diseases,
> climate, earthquakes, etc. or whether they are
> political, wars from invaders etc. New ideas and
> adaptations are created because necessity is indeed
> the mother of invention.
>
> Culture is living, breathing, organic a kind of
> d of corporate being, a complex mix of societies and
> all its norms, rules, expectations, spoken and
> unspoken, known and subconcious. We are aware of
> this when we experience culture shock in an alien
> land.Thier finesse in serving refreshments while trinkiling tips of hair off or sewing beads in and singing the new limerick about ..... We realize that our perception of reality is
> threatened once we leave traininng the security of our own
> naive cultures.
>
> Globalization, from what I can see is a kind of world
> wide culture shock. Conceptuated by Shahzada Sher of Multan Pakistan,Orcestrated by our weaknesses for greed og NYSE green and Mulligatawny spots on tables at Corporate lunches and coagressed by UNO Society People don't have to leave home!
> to expereience it though -- the world is at our
> doorstep. White middle class Americans are finding
> their malls full of people from all over the world,
> enjoying our lush lucrative markets.
>
> People who never wanted it are passing Mcdonald signs driving down in mistshu convertibles
> on their way to a late afternoon tennis match at the county's continental club .
> People are finding things sacred to them -- Friday afternoon is a saturday ecvening there
> holy day and Saturday holy day here -- or Sunday holy day
> maringalized by a greater society that never slows
> down, takes no thought of these ancient traditions during global news plus web views exchange hours .
>
> Is it all about money? I thought not until mankind had swallowed too much of it building a new west . Is it all about
> politics? 'Wheres my stash! Politics mostly follows the money and
> there is more to it then money. 'it was in a leather walltet with pure gold seal on it"!
>
> The bottom line is many of our children will likely
> marry people from other societies after we let their culture breath ofcourse . Constitutions or Cultures or people who dont have a course or light and by the crash shock
> been deeply affected by another culture (bi-cultural
> people who need to enlish into the Revolution! Yes! take prosperity it is obnly made from money plus Globalisation. The Kamayatras are available too London made millions from Yoyos and Amazing face creams . Globalists will bring strange notions and ideas
> into our families and upset the balance and force all
> of us to make judgements adjustments that are not comfortable and we will live by a good book and its wisdom once the prosperity is defined.
>
>
> This is deeply personal stuff. Deeply complex
> issues.
>
> I believe we cannot afford to simply aruge about
> whether we should "have it" or not. It is upon us,
> unstoppable. Even China is excepting these facts and
> embracing the English language. Perhaps what we
> ought to do is discuss how we are going to manage the
> chaos of clashing culture in our own neigborhoods.
> What of our own cultures need to be preserved at all
> costs? What can we despense with? How far do we
> need to go to accomodate other culture influences?
> How will we govern ourselves with the dilution of
> f national boarders? How will we hold governments
> and international corporations accountable in this
> free for all environment mass transit and instant
> communication has ushered onto our planet? In short
> what are the real issues of globalization and how are
> we going to deal with them?
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Re: What exactly is causing globalization?
Real cause of gobalization is new technology, this new technology bring very fastspeed in our life, if there is no inernet is it possible to send outsourcing in Banglore, or open manufacturing ploant in china.
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